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Ben Reed is the small groups pastor at Grace Community Church in Clarksville, TN. He thrives on building healthy, biblical, authentic, life-changing communities. Ben is a regular contributor for SmallGroups.com and RightNowTraining.org. He has also written articles for Outreach Magazine and Collegiate Magazine. To see more of Ben's thoughts, follow him on Twitter, Facebook, or his Blog.
I was in a small group my junior and senior years of high school that was absolutely monumental in my spiritual journey. That group helped me more than years and years of sermons I heard. More than years and years of sitting under a Sunday school teacher. More than years and years of individual study.Even though I didn’t talk …
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You’ve been a church visitor at some point, right?
Ever heard something you wish you didn’t hear, right off the bat?
I’ve got a few that nobody really wants to hear. Some I’ve heard personally. Others I’ve heard as they were told to someone else.
10 Statements Church Visitors Never Want to Hear
1. Our pastor isn’t …
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My time in seminary was formative for my spiritual, and ministerial, life. I loved my time there, and was an important part of God confirming my call to full-time vocational ministry.
image credit: andynaselli.com
Seminary isn’t for everyone, but it’s incredibly helpful for some. Including me.
But seminary doesn’t teach …
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We pastors say a lot. Most of the time, we’re straight shooters.
At least as far as you can tell.
Sometimes, though, we don’t really mean what we say. It’s not that we’re speaking an outright lie. There are just subtle, slightly different interpretations that one might make of our words. We’re like a good exercise in …
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Growing up, I went to church a lot. A lot. (I know — that’s a theologically loaded phrase. Just hang with me. And read that last sentence again slowly for dramatic effect, please.)
On any given week, we had Sunday morning services, Sunday school, youth choir, discipleship classes, student ministry, Tuesday night outreach, Bible …
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I’ve visited a lot of churches. I’m always looking for ways that we at Grace can improve.
It’s amazing what a fresh set of eyes can find.
It’s one thing to get people in the door once. But to get someone to visit again, and begin to call your church their home? Much tougher.
We’re still trying to figure out ways to …
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The decision I made to move into full-time vocational ministry was one of the most difficult decisions of my life. It took me nearly a year of praying, fasting, reading, and seeking counsel.
But when I made the decision, there was no swaying me. Not a chance you were going to convince me I was headed the wrong direction. I was sure …
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Moses is one of my favorite heroes in the Bible. Partly because of the danger surrounding the time of his birth. Partly because he was an amazing leader. Partly because he got to part an entire sea.
But mainly because I love how real Moses appears. You get to see Moses’ humanity throughout his story. The fact that he’s weak, doubts …
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I had the chance to preach at Grace this Sunday. It was a great experience communicating with my church family. And I learned a few things about myself through the preparation and delivery of this sermon as I reflected on it. Things that seemed more tangible than other time I’d preached. See if there are some here you’ve …
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Most people, when they preach, want to do well. Right?
Most people want others to experience God, encounter truth, and leave changed. Most people want the hard work they put into their sermons to have some sort of impact on the people listening.
Most people.
But not everyone. Some people aim to preach a lousy sermon. If you’d …
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